Sunday, July 22, 2018

AXP & IBM Earnings Preview, Wednesday's Trending Stocks: AMZN, FNKO | Free Lunch

On today’s episode of Free Lunch, Associate Stock Strategist Ryan McQueeney covers trending market stories related to the Dow index, Amazon (AMZN ) , and Funko (FNKO ) . Later, he previews the upcoming earnings reports of American Express (AXP ) and IBM (IBM ) .

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Free Lunch is the newest show from Zacks Investment Research. It is streamed live, four times per week, and features breaking news and analysis from Zacks strategists. Free Lunch is available on YouTube, Facebook Live, Twitter, Ustream, and more.

Despite early losses from broader indexes, the Dow fought for morning gains Wednesday and looks poised to nail its longest win streak since May. Industrials and financials displayed strength today, while investors showed some hesitation toward tech.

Meanwhile, e-commerce behemoth Amazon released information about this week’s historic Prime Day, which apparently saw the most one-day Prime member additions in the company’s history. Amazon was criticized during Prime Day as its site encountered various hiccups, but slowdowns apparently did not put a dent on the celebrations.

Investors on Wednesday were also feeling the Fortnite buzz as shares of toy maker Funko gained on the back of its new deal with Epic Games. The Fortnite maker made a licensing agreement which will see Funko produce a line of branded toys and collectibles.

Ryan recaps these stories and gives his own perspective on today’s breaking news during the first half of the show!

Later, the host speculates as to whether American Express and IBM will help the Dow continue its streak with their earnings reports this afternoon.

Ryan prepares investors for these reports by exploring earnings estimates, revision trends, valuation history, and other key data for each company. Don’t miss your chance to hear everything you need to know ahead of these earnings announcements!

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Saturday, July 21, 2018

Top 5 Medical Stocks To Buy For 2019

tags:ITI,CPIX,MDGL,KEY,WGL, KKR is reportedly close to announcing a deal to buy Envision Healthcare as the private equity firm continues its health-care acquisition spree.

The KKR deal for Envision is expected to be publicized Monday, the Wall Street Journal reported Sunday.�

The move would come after Envision announced in October that it would consider "strategic alternatives" for its future, which is business terminology for a possible sale or other restructuring�moves.

Envision provides doctor-led medical services at its�261 surgery centers and one surgical hospital in 35 states.�

KKR and Envision representatives were not immediately available to comment Sunday afternoon.

KKR has done several health care deals recently, including 2017's acquisition of WebMD, an online provider of medical information.

Top 5 Medical Stocks To Buy For 2019: Iteris, Inc.(ITI)

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Max Byerly]

    Iteris (NASDAQ:ITI) was downgraded by ValuEngine from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report released on Saturday.

    Several other research analysts have also commented on the company. JMP Securities initiated coverage on Iteris in a research report on Thursday, January 25th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $10.50 price objective on the stock. B. Riley set a $9.00 price objective on Iteris and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 8th. Finally, Zacks Investment Research lowered Iteris from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 4th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. Iteris has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $8.75.

  • [By Stephan Byrd]

    iTicoin (CURRENCY:ITI) traded 21.2% higher against the U.S. dollar during the one day period ending at 20:00 PM Eastern on June 2nd. iTicoin has a total market capitalization of $543,370.00 and approximately $61.00 worth of iTicoin was traded on exchanges in the last 24 hours. In the last week, iTicoin has traded up 20.2% against the U.S. dollar. One iTicoin coin can currently be bought for approximately $16.98 or 0.00222465 BTC on major exchanges including BTC Trade UA, BTC-Alpha, Cryptopia and Livecoin.

  • [By Shane Hupp]

    B. Riley set a $9.00 price target on Iteris (NASDAQ:ITI) in a research report sent to investors on Wednesday morning. The brokerage currently has a buy rating on the technology company’s stock. B. Riley also issued estimates for Iteris’ Q4 2018 earnings at ($0.04) EPS, FY2018 earnings at ($0.08) EPS, Q1 2019 earnings at ($0.02) EPS, Q2 2019 earnings at ($0.05) EPS, Q3 2019 earnings at ($0.01) EPS, Q4 2019 earnings at ($0.04) EPS, FY2019 earnings at ($0.11) EPS, FY2020 earnings at $0.16 EPS and FY2021 earnings at $0.52 EPS.

  • [By Shane Hupp]

    Iteris (NASDAQ: ITI) and Napco Security Technologies (NASDAQ:NSSC) are both small-cap computer and technology companies, but which is the better business? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their analyst recommendations, earnings, dividends, valuation, institutional ownership, profitability and risk.

  • [By Lisa Levin] Gainers Red Violet, Inc. (NASDAQ: RDVT) rose 75.31 percent to close at $9.94 after reporting Q1 results. Euro Tech Holdings Company Limited (NASDAQ: CLWT) shares jumped 40.62 percent to close at $4.50 on Tuesday after reporting 2017 year-end results. MEI Pharma, Inc. (NASDAQ: MEIP) gained 34.39 percent to close at $3.40. MEDIGUS Ltd/S ADR (NASDAQ: MDGS) gained 32.74 percent to close at $1.50 in reaction to its Monday announcement of a distribution agreement. The medical device company said it reached an agreement to distribute its minimally invasive medical devices in Turkey, Azerbaijan and Georgia. Pfenex Inc. (NYSE: PFNX) surged 31.15 percent to close at $8.00 after the company announced the positive top-line PF708 study results in Osteoporosis patients that showed no imbalances in severity or incidence of adverse events. Arcadia Biosciences, Inc. (NASDAQ: RKDA) rose 21.07 percent to close at $11.09. Arcadia Biosciences reported that Albert D. Bolles, Ph.D. has joined its board of directors. Genprex, Inc. (NASDAQ: GNPX) rose 20.23 percent to close at $10.58. Turtle Beach Corporation (NASDAQ: HEAR) shares gained 17.62 percent to close at $17.82. Aptevo Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ: APVO) rose 17.1 percent to close at $5.82. Phoenix New Media Limited (NYSE: FENG) shares jumped 16.23 percent to close at $4.87 following Q1 earnings. Stein Mart, Inc. (NASDAQ: SMRT) rose 16.04 percent to close at $3.69. PPDAI Group Inc. (NASDAQ: PPDF) climbed 15.99 percent to close at $7.98 following Q1 results. Tyme Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: TYME) rose 15.93 percent to close at $3.42. LiqTech International, Inc. (NASDAQ: LIQT) gained 15.59 percent to close at $0.5532 following Q1 results. Sophiris Bio, Inc. (NASDAQ: SPHS) gained 13.92 percent to close at $3.52 on Tuesday following Q1 results. Euroseas Ltd. (NASDAQ: ESEA) jumped 13.4 percent to close at $2.37. Iteris, Inc. (NASDAQ: ITI) shares surged 13.05 percent to close
  • [By Stephan Byrd]

    Iteris (NASDAQ: ITI) and UTStarcom (NASDAQ:UTSI) are both small-cap computer and technology companies, but which is the better business? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their earnings, institutional ownership, risk, dividends, valuation, profitability and analyst recommendations.

Top 5 Medical Stocks To Buy For 2019: Cumberland Pharmaceuticals Inc.(CPIX)

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Max Byerly]

    COPYRIGHT VIOLATION NOTICE: “Cumberland Pharmaceuticals (CPIX) Research Coverage Started at B. Riley” was originally posted by Ticker Report and is the property of of Ticker Report. If you are reading this report on another domain, it was copied illegally and republished in violation of US and international copyright & trademark legislation. The legal version of this report can be accessed at https://www.tickerreport.com/banking-finance/3364464/cumberland-pharmaceuticals-cpix-research-coverage-started-at-b-riley.html.

  • [By Logan Wallace]

    JW Asset Management LLC cut its stake in Cumberland Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:CPIX) by 32.2% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 178,942 shares of the specialty pharmaceutical company’s stock after selling 84,939 shares during the period. Cumberland Pharmaceuticals comprises about 1.2% of JW Asset Management LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 16th largest holding. JW Asset Management LLC owned about 1.14% of Cumberland Pharmaceuticals worth $1,195,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Top 5 Medical Stocks To Buy For 2019: Madrigal Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (MDGL)

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Shane Hupp]

    Madrigal Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:MDGL)‘s stock had its “buy” rating restated by investment analysts at Cowen in a research note issued on Thursday.

  • [By Lisa Levin]

    Madrigal Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: MDGL) shares shot up 132 percent to $251.6029 in reaction to an encouraging Phase 2 clinical trial update. The clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company said its liver-directed, thyroid hormone receptor called MGL-3196 showed a statistical significance in the primary endpoint of lowering liver fat at 12 weeks and also 36 weeks.

  • [By George Budwell]

    Shares of the clinical-stage biotech�Viking Therapeutics (NASDAQ:VKTX) are soaring this morning following positive mid-stage trial results for Madrigal Pharmaceuticals' (NASDAQ:MDGL) nonalcoholic�steatohepatitis (NASH) candidate�MGL-3196.

  • [By Lisa Levin] Gainers Madrigal Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: MDGL) shares surged 144.96 percent to close at $265.61 on Thursday in reaction to an encouraging Phase 2 clinical trial update. The clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company said its liver-directed, thyroid hormone receptor called MGL-3196 showed a statistical significance in the primary endpoint of lowering liver fat at 12 weeks and also 36 weeks. Viking Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: VKTX) shares rose 101.01 percent to close at $9.99 on Thursday after falling 4.42 percent on Wednesday. Akers Biosciences, Inc. (NASDAQ: AKER) jumped 45.58 percent to close at $0.474. The developer of rapid health information technologies said Wednesday afternoon it was granted a 180-day extension from the Nasdaq Stock Market to meet the requirement of a minimum $1.00 per share closing bid price for 10 straight days. Kitov Pharma Ltd (NASDAQ: KTOV) gained 40.93 percent to close at $3.03 after the FDA approved Kitov's Consensi for the treatment of osteoarthritis pain and hypertension. China Customer Relations Centers, Inc. (NASDAQ: CCRC) rose 28.21 percent to close at $19.86. J.Jill, Inc. (NYSE: JILL) climbed 26.45 percent to close at $7.84 after the company posted upbeat quarterly earnings. Curis, Inc. (NASDAQ: CRIS) shares climbed 21.93 percent to close at $2.78 in reaction to an encouraging FDA update. The biotechnology company that focuses on therapies for the treatment of cancer said the FDA granted a Fast Track designation for fimepinostat (CUDC-907) in patients with relapsed or refractory. Boxlight Corporation (NASDAQ: BOXL) gained 21.23 percent to close at $7.48. Kirkland's, Inc. (NASDAQ: KIRK) rose 16.21 percent to close at $12.83 after reporting upbeat Q1 results. The Brink's Company (NYSE: BCO) jumped 16.2 percent to close at $79.25 as the company announced plans to acquire Dunbar Armored for $520 million in cash. Applied Optoelectronics, Inc. (NASDAQ: AAOI) rose 15.14 percent to c
  • [By Lisa Levin]

    Madrigal Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: MDGL) shares shot up 144 percent to $264.885 in reaction to an encouraging Phase 2 clinical trial update. The clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company said its liver-directed, thyroid hormone receptor called MGL-3196 showed a statistical significance in the primary endpoint of lowering liver fat at 12 weeks and also 36 weeks.

  • [By Sean Williams]

    Perhaps no company has received more interest in recent weeks than Madrigal Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:MDGL) which, might I add, has gained more than 1,800% over the trailing year.

Top 5 Medical Stocks To Buy For 2019: KeyCorp(KEY)

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Joseph Griffin]

    KEY (CURRENCY:KEY) traded up 0.6% against the U.S. dollar during the one day period ending at 13:00 PM Eastern on July 1st. During the last week, KEY has traded up 7.6% against the U.S. dollar. One KEY token can now be bought for about $0.0063 or 0.00000099 BTC on popular exchanges. KEY has a market cap of $0.00 and approximately $284,702.00 worth of KEY was traded on exchanges in the last day.

  • [By Max Byerly]

    Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on KeyCorp (KEY)

    For more information about research offerings from Zacks Investment Research, visit Zacks.com

  • [By Stephan Byrd]

    Teacher Retirement System of Texas lessened its position in KeyCorp (NYSE:KEY) by 19.2% during the 1st quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 237,965 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 56,681 shares during the quarter. Teacher Retirement System of Texas’ holdings in KeyCorp were worth $4,652,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

  • [By ]

    That said, I never completely abandoned the space. I remain long Citigroup (C) , I am flat KeyCorp (KEY) , having managed to maximize that trade earlier this year. Recently, your pal even reloaded his Goldman Sachs (GS) long after having trimmed that position appropriately. That, friends, is based on my belief that volatility will allow this legendary firm to reclaim its reputation. This one, I'll watch with great anticipation. They report on Tuesday, April 17. My trigger finger itches now.

  • [By Money Morning Staff Reports]

    KeyCorp (NYSE: KEY), the parent company of KeyBank, announced that it will hike its dividend by a whopping 42%. The announcement – a hike from $0.12 to $0.17 – is further proof that U.S. banks are much healthier. KEY also just hit the "Buy Zone" on the Money Morning Stock VQScore�� system.

  • [By Stephan Byrd]

    Gifford Fong Associates acquired a new stake in shares of KeyCorp (NYSE:KEY) in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm acquired 30,000 shares of the financial services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $587,000.

Top 5 Medical Stocks To Buy For 2019: WGL Holdings Inc(WGL)

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Shane Hupp]

    Franklin Resources Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of WGL Holdings Inc (NYSE:WGL) in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm purchased 28,373 shares of the utilities provider’s stock, valued at approximately $2,374,000. Franklin Resources Inc. owned about 0.06% of WGL as of its most recent SEC filing.

  • [By Stephan Byrd]

    WGL Holdings Inc (NYSE:WGL)’s share price reached a new 52-week high during trading on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $88.75 and last traded at $88.72, with a volume of 377688 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $88.56.

Friday, July 20, 2018

Top Oil Stocks To Buy For 2019

tags:APA,COP,RIG,ECA,RRC,MRO,

Bonanza Creek Energy (NYSE:BCEI) was upgraded by Zacks Investment Research from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note issued on Monday. The brokerage presently has a $38.00 target price on the oil and gas producer’s stock. Zacks Investment Research‘s target price would indicate a potential upside of 14.35% from the company’s previous close.

According to Zacks, “Bonanza Creek Energy, Inc. is engaged in the acquisition, exploration and development of onshore oil and natural gas properties in the United States. The Company’s core operating areas are the DJ Basin in Colorado and the Cotton Valley formation in southern Arkansas. Bonanza Creek Energy, Inc. is based in Denver, Colorado. “

Top Oil Stocks To Buy For 2019: Apache Corporation(APA)

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By ]

    Now, I haven't dabbled in U.S. shale oil or in the permian basin since I extracted myself from Apache (APA) several months ago after an epic fight in the name of capital preservation. But The Wall Street Journal ran a piece last week explaining that due to already-mentioned distribution bottlenecks, Permian-basin oil prices had fallen below $60 a barrel despite the fact that WTI futures were trading above $70.

  • [By Joseph Griffin]

    Apache Co. (NYSE:APA) – Research analysts at Capital One Financial upped their Q2 2018 earnings per share estimates for shares of Apache in a research note issued on Thursday, July 5th. Capital One Financial analyst R. Tullis now forecasts that the energy company will earn $0.37 per share for the quarter, up from their previous estimate of $0.31.

  • [By Matthew DiLallo]

    Thanks to red-hot oil prices over the past year, oil stocks are up sharply. To give some sense of the magnitude of the rebound, the iShares U.S. Oil & Gas Exploration & Production ETF (NYSEMKT:IEO) -- which holds more than 60 U.S.-focused oil and gas stocks -- has rallied nearly 33% over the last 12 months. However, while that rising tide has lifted most boats, not all oil and gas stocks have enjoyed the oil market's rebound. In fact, some stocks have managed to lose ground in the past year. Two of those laggards are Antero Resources (NYSE:AR) and Apache Corporation (NYSE:APA), which have declined 6% and 12%, respectively, in the last year.

  • [By Matthew DiLallo]

    The IEA's forecast bodes well for oil stocks, especially those that have underperformed during the rally over the past year. Two that stand out are Newfield Exploration (NYSE:NFX) and Apache (NYSE:APA), since both have lost value even though oil has been red-hot. Because of that, they trade at dirt cheap valuations versus their peers. That underperformance doesn't make sense given the growth these companies can deliver at much lower oil prices.

Top Oil Stocks To Buy For 2019: ConocoPhillips(COP)

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Lisa Levin] Companies Reporting Before The Bell General Motors Company (NYSE: GM) is projected to report quarterly earnings at $1.24 per share on revenue of $34.66 billion. Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (NYSE: BMY) is estimated to report quarterly earnings at $0.85 per share on revenue of $5.24 billion. United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE: UPS) is expected to report quarterly earnings at $1.55 per share on revenue of $16.44 billion. Time Warner Inc. (NYSE: TWX) is projected to report quarterly earnings at $1.74 per share on revenue of $7.91 billion. ConocoPhillips (NYSE: COP) is expected to report quarterly earnings at $0.74 per share on revenue of $8.81 billion. PepsiCo, Inc. (NYSE: PEP) is expected to report quarterly earnings at $0.93 per share on revenue of $12.4 billion. American Airlines Group Inc. (NASDAQ: AAL) is estimated to report quarterly earnings at $0.72 per share on revenue of $10.42 billion. Southwest Airlines Co (NYSE: LUV) is expected to report quarterly earnings at $0.74 per share on revenue of $5.01 billion. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles N.V. (NYSE: FCAU) is estimated to report quarterly earnings at $0.8 per share on revenue of $34.52 billion. Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE: UNP) is projected to report quarterly earnings at $1.66 per share on revenue of $5.38 billion. D.R. Horton, Inc. (NYSE: DHI) is expected to report quarterly earnings at $0.85 per share on revenue of $3.76 billion. The Hershey Company (NYSE: HSY) is estimated to report quarterly earnings at $1.4 per share on revenue of $1.94 billion. Praxair, Inc. (NYSE: PX) is expected to report quarterly earnings at $1.56 per share on revenue of $2.94 billion. Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE: MO) is projected to report quarterly earnings at $0.92 per share on revenue of $4.63 billion. Shire plc (NASDAQ: SHPG) is estimated to report quarterly earnings at $3.54 per share on revenue of $3.72 billion. Oshkosh Corporation (NYSE: OSK) is projected to report quarter
  • [By Matthew DiLallo]

    ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) has been one of the hottest oil stocks in the sector over the past year. Shares of the U.S. oil giant are up an eye-popping 57% over that time frame, adding $26 billion to its market cap. That's a significantly higher return than most other oil stocks, which are only up by a mid-teens rate on average.

  • [By Matthew DiLallo]

    Several other oil companies have also steadily increased cash returns to shareholders in the last year. ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP), for example, initially expected to repurchase $3 billion in stock through 2019. But after selling a boatload of assets last year, the company bought back that entire amount in 2017. So the company said it would buy back $1.5 billion per year through 2020, increasing its overall authorization to $7.5 billion. However, thanks to improving oil prices, the company has already boosted 2018's buyback by $500 million -- along with increasing its dividend 7.5%. And it could raise its repurchase authorization again given where crude prices are these days, and the fact that the company is on pace to achieve its debt-reduction target a year early.

  • [By Shane Hupp]

    Caisse DE Depot ET Placement DU Quebec raised its position in ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) by 285.9% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 652,900 shares of the energy producer’s stock after purchasing an additional 483,700 shares during the quarter. Caisse DE Depot ET Placement DU Quebec owned 0.06% of ConocoPhillips worth $38,710,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

  • [By Shane Hupp]

    ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) VP Glenda Mae Schwarz sold 6,763 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $65.04, for a total value of $439,865.52. Following the sale, the vice president now directly owns 10,182 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $662,237.28. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website.

Top Oil Stocks To Buy For 2019: Transocean Inc.(RIG)

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Jason Hall]

    On June 27, shares of Seadrill Ltd�(NYSE:SDRL),�Diamond Offshore Drilling Inc (NYSE:DO), and�Ensco PLC�(NYSE:ESV) traded up more than 10% at various points. And while they've cooled off a bit -- up 9.9%, 10.3%, and 8.9%, respectively, at recent prices -- they continue to march toward today's close with big gains. And while not quite as much as the three aforementioned companies, shares of�Transocean LTD (NYSE:RIG)�and Noble Corporation PLC�(NYSE:NE) are showing big days as well, up 6.4% and 7.2% in late-afternoon trading.�

  • [By Max Byerly]

    ValuEngine upgraded shares of Transocean (NYSE:RIG) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note released on Wednesday morning.

    Several other research firms have also recently issued reports on RIG. Bank of America increased their price objective on Transocean from $12.00 to $13.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 18th. Citigroup increased their price objective on Transocean from $15.00 to $16.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Monday, April 30th. Susquehanna Bancshares set a $11.00 price objective on Transocean and gave the stock a hold rating in a research report on Friday, January 12th. Cowen set a $11.00 price objective on Transocean and gave the stock a hold rating in a research report on Thursday, January 11th. Finally, Piper Jaffray set a $11.00 price objective on Transocean and gave the stock a hold rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 10th. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have given a hold rating and fourteen have issued a buy rating to the stock. The company currently has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $11.79.

  • [By Ethan Ryder]

    Quantitative Systematic Strategies LLC bought a new stake in Transocean LTD (NYSE:RIG) during the 1st quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor bought 13,609 shares of the offshore drilling services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $135,000.

  • [By Tyler Crowe, Matthew DiLallo, and Reuben Gregg Brewer]

    While we aren't prognosticators on crude oil prices, there does appear to be a lot�of value in the energy sector at this price level. So we asked three Motley Fool investors to highlight a stock in the sector they like this month. Here's why they picked Enterprise Products Partners (NYSE:EPD), Enbridge (NYSE:ENB), and Transocean (NYSE:RIG).�

Top Oil Stocks To Buy For 2019: Encana Corporation(ECA)

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Shane Hupp]

    Electra (CURRENCY:ECA) traded down 5.1% against the U.S. dollar during the 24-hour period ending at 15:00 PM E.T. on June 12th. Over the last seven days, Electra has traded down 25.7% against the U.S. dollar. Electra has a market cap of $34.53 million and approximately $134,011.00 worth of Electra was traded on exchanges in the last 24 hours. One Electra coin can currently be bought for $0.0013 or 0.00000020 BTC on exchanges including CryptoBridge, Fatbtc, CoinFalcon and Coinhouse.

  • [By Ethan Ryder]

    Encana (NYSE:ECA) (TSE:ECA) had its target price raised by Morgan Stanley from $16.00 to $20.00 in a research report report published on Wednesday morning. Morgan Stanley currently has a buy rating on the oil and gas company’s stock.

  • [By Max Byerly]

    Electra (CURRENCY:ECA) traded 8% higher against the U.S. dollar during the 1-day period ending at 22:00 PM ET on June 20th. In the last week, Electra has traded 12.6% higher against the U.S. dollar. Electra has a market capitalization of $34.87 million and $128,874.00 worth of Electra was traded on exchanges in the last 24 hours. One Electra coin can now be purchased for $0.0014 or 0.00000020 BTC on exchanges including Fatbtc, Novaexchange, CoinFalcon and CryptoBridge.

Top Oil Stocks To Buy For 2019: Range Resources Corporation(RRC)

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Tyler Crowe, Matthew DiLallo, and Reuben Gregg Brewer]

    So we asked three of our investing contributors to each highlight a company they think has a compelling investment case right now in the oil and gas industry. Here's why they selected Devon Energy (NYSE:DVN), Range Resources (NYSE:RRC), and ExxonMobil (NYSE:XOM).

  • [By Paul Ausick]

    Range Resources Corp. (NYSE: RRC) fell about 3.6% Monday to post a new 52-week low of $14.77 after closing at $15.30 on Friday. The 52-week high is $35.64. Volume of about 9.4 million was about 20% higher than the daily average of around 7.7 million shares traded. The company had no specific news.

  • [By Shane Hupp]

    Toronto Dominion Bank increased its holdings in Range Resources Corp. (NYSE:RRC) by 25.2% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 123,421 shares of the oil and gas exploration company’s stock after purchasing an additional 24,839 shares during the period. Toronto Dominion Bank’s holdings in Range Resources were worth $1,794,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

  • [By Ethan Ryder]

    OppenheimerFunds Inc. lowered its holdings in Range Resources Corp. (NYSE:RRC) by 68.2% in the first quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 30,532 shares of the oil and gas exploration company’s stock after selling 65,576 shares during the quarter. OppenheimerFunds Inc.’s holdings in Range Resources were worth $444,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

  • [By Joseph Griffin]

    Range Resources Corp. (NYSE:RRC) – Equities research analysts at Seaport Global Securities raised their Q4 2018 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for shares of Range Resources in a note issued to investors on Wednesday, May 23rd. Seaport Global Securities analyst M. Kelly now anticipates that the oil and gas exploration company will post earnings per share of $0.12 for the quarter, up from their previous forecast of $0.11. Seaport Global Securities has a “Neutral” rating on the stock. Seaport Global Securities also issued estimates for Range Resources’ Q1 2019 earnings at $0.36 EPS, Q3 2019 earnings at $0.18 EPS, Q4 2019 earnings at $0.26 EPS and FY2019 earnings at $0.98 EPS.

  • [By Stephan Byrd]

    Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Range Resources (RRC)

    For more information about research offerings from Zacks Investment Research, visit Zacks.com

Top Oil Stocks To Buy For 2019: Marathon Oil Corporation(MRO)

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Max Byerly]

    Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Marathon Oil (MRO)

    For more information about research offerings from Zacks Investment Research, visit Zacks.com

  • [By Matthew DiLallo]

    Marathon Oil (NYSE:MRO)�also has cashed in on the improvement in oil prices. Shares of the U.S. oil company are up more than 80% over the past year -- making it one of the best-performing oil stocks of 2018�-- due to the impact higher oil prices are having on its cash flow. Like EOG, Marathon Oil set its budget to run on $50 oil, which has it on pace to produce $500 million in free cash at $60 a barrel and even more at current prices.

  • [By Tyler Crowe]

    Back in 2011, Marathon Oil (NYSE:MRO) elected to spin off Marathon Petroleum. At the time, much of the reasoning for the split was that both entities would garner higher valuations than as an integrated company. Also, by separating them, both could best allocate capital to grow shareholder value.�

Thursday, July 19, 2018

Paragon Price Hits $0.12 on Top Exchanges (PRG)

Paragon (CURRENCY:PRG) traded 9.7% higher against the U.S. dollar during the 24-hour period ending at 10:00 AM Eastern on July 18th. In the last week, Paragon has traded up 38.9% against the U.S. dollar. Paragon has a market cap of $8.12 million and $219,166.00 worth of Paragon was traded on exchanges in the last 24 hours. One Paragon token can currently be purchased for $0.12 or 0.00001654 BTC on cryptocurrency exchanges including Livecoin, Tidex and HitBTC.

Here is how related cryptocurrencies have performed in the last 24 hours:

Get Paragon alerts: XRP (XRP) traded up 8.3% against the dollar and now trades at $0.51 or 0.00006879 BTC. Stellar (XLM) traded up 37.5% against the dollar and now trades at $0.32 or 0.00004268 BTC. IOTA (MIOTA) traded up 5.9% against the dollar and now trades at $1.13 or 0.00015121 BTC. Tether (USDT) traded down 0.3% against the dollar and now trades at $1.00 or 0.00013405 BTC. TRON (TRX) traded up 8.2% against the dollar and now trades at $0.0397 or 0.00000533 BTC. NEO (NEO) traded up 7.9% against the dollar and now trades at $39.03 or 0.00524005 BTC. Binance Coin (BNB) traded up 4.7% against the dollar and now trades at $13.72 or 0.00184173 BTC. VeChain (VET) traded 4% higher against the dollar and now trades at $1.90 or 0.00025547 BTC. 0x (ZRX) traded up 12.7% against the dollar and now trades at $1.25 or 0.00016822 BTC. Zilliqa (ZIL) traded 14% higher against the dollar and now trades at $0.0851 or 0.00001143 BTC.

Paragon Profile

Paragon launched on October 26th, 2017. Paragon’s total supply is 164,936,587 tokens and its circulating supply is 65,936,597 tokens. Paragon’s official Twitter account is @paragoncoin and its Facebook page is accessible here. Paragon’s official website is paragoncoin.com.

Paragon Token Trading

Paragon can be bought or sold on the following cryptocurrency exchanges: HitBTC, Tidex and Livecoin. It is usually not presently possible to buy alternative cryptocurrencies such as Paragon directly using US dollars. Investors seeking to trade Paragon should first buy Ethereum or Bitcoin using an exchange that deals in US dollars such as Gemini, Coinbase or Changelly. Investors can then use their newly-acquired Ethereum or Bitcoin to buy Paragon using one of the exchanges listed above.

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Friday, July 13, 2018

2 Top Stocks for Retirees

If you're a retiree in your early sixties, you have a pretty good chance at another three decades of retirement. That means it's more important than�ever to create an income stream that grows faster than the cost of living.

Welltower Inc. (NYSE:WELL)�and�Realty Income Corp. (NYSE:O) offer market-beating dividend yields up front, plus they benefit from strong positions in their respective niches. Here's why this pair is a perfect fit for retirees and cautious investors of all ages.

Cash raining down on a happy man petting a blue piggy bank

Image source: Getty Images.

1. Welltower: A major player in the middle of an unstoppable trend

America's population of people over the age of 85 is expected to double during the next 20 years, which means demand for senior housing, and senior-specific healthcare, isn't going anywhere but up.�Welltower owns (and in some cases operates) 1,277 healthcare properties that make it the country's single largest real estate investment trust (REIT) with concentrated exposure to these senior-specific fields.

Changes to the way Medicare and Medicaid reimburse facilities have made the senior housing business unusually challenging over the past several years, but that hasn't stopped Welltower from meeting its dividend commitment. With the exception of a brief dip in late 2006 and early 2007, this REIT's made fairly regular payout bumps that have kept the distribution rising for decades.

Since its inception 46 years ago, Welltower has delivered a 15.5% annual return by skating to where the puck's going to be, and in recent years that's meant lots of asset sales. Lower profits from fewer assets have made it hard to raise the dividend payout, but it will probably be worth the struggle. Now, the company's restructured portfolio is made up of competitive properties mostly located in�affluent healthcare markets.

Welltower shares offer a big 5.5% dividend yield at recent prices. Although the restructuring program might make it hard to deliver big payout bumps in the near term, a pivot toward high-margin revenue from private end payers could help this REIT outperform for retirees in the decades to come.

Someone getting paid cash.

Image source: Getty Images.

2. Realty Income: Monthly payouts and market-beating gains

Since going public in 1994, shares of Realty Income have delivered a 15.8% annual return. Predictable cash flows from a portfolio that currently boasts over 5,100 real estate properties have allowed this REIT to boost its monthly payout 96 times in its 24-year history as a public company. At recent prices, the stock offers a nice 4.7% dividend yield and appears ready to outperform for at least a couple more decades.�

This is a quintessential set-it-and-forget-it stock for shareholders partly because it takes a similar approach with its tenants. Realty Income is a champion of signing long-term�net lease agreements that place responsibility for taxes, maintenance, and other variable expenses on the tenant. Once a new 7-Eleven�moves in, Realty Income can expect at least a decade of rock-steady cash flows.

Investing in any single one of the brick-and-mortar retailers that lease Realty Income properties is probably too risky for most retirees, but its diverse revenue stream makes it a solid retirement stock. Although most brick-and-mortar retail markets have taken a hit recently, this REIT has kept its portfolio focused on businesses that meet criteria that should allow them to continue paying rent for the long run. For example, its fitness center and movie theater tenants are highly resistant to e-commerce while dollar stores tend to do best when the economy's at its worst.

Even during the depth of the latest recession occupancy bottomed out at 96.6% in 2010 and has since risen to an outstanding 98.6% with more than half of rental revenue coming from tenants with investment-grade credit ratings.

Older man looking at rising stacks of coins.

Image source: Getty Images.

Be ready for the long haul

Realty Income and Welltower have what it takes to deliver market-beating gains, but investors need to understand that rapidly rising interest rates can have a twofold effect on REITs. Higher interest rates drive up borrowing costs, which can squeeze profit margins over the long run. In the short term, higher rates push REIT prices down because investors demand higher yields to compete with safer assets, such as Treasury bonds.

High-interest-rate environments generally coincide with economic booms, which should allow these REITs to make enough rent increases to keep their payouts rising into the long run. While one can be fairly confident that careful capital allocation will keep those dividend payments flowing, there isn't a lot to be done about temporary stock movements to the downside other than wait.

That's all fine and good if you've retired with a large enough nest egg that dividend payments on their own meet your income needs. If you're going to need to make steady withdrawals from your principal, though, fixed income investing might be a better option.

Wednesday, July 11, 2018

Why Clorox Company Stock Jumped 11.9% in June to Deliver Its Best Month This Year

What happened

Clorox (NYSE:CLX) shares made a dramatic comeback in June, ending the month 11.9% higher according to data provided by�S&P Global Market Intelligence and reversing a major chunk of the losses they'd piled on year to date.

Interestingly, Clorox shares have been on the rise ever since the company reported its third-quarter earnings early May despite a full-year earnings downgrade. What gives?

So what

Rising cost pressure has been a common theme across the consumer goods industry. Clorox's third-quarter gross margin dropped to 42.8%�from 44% as a result. Yet, the company earned 5% higher net profit year over year on lower taxes and 3% growth in sales. More importantly, Clorox upgraded its full-year sales guidance to the higher end of its previous range of 1%-3%. On the flip side, it downgraded its fiscal 2018 earnings per share (EPS) outlook to $6.15-$6.30 from $6.17-$6.37. There's nothing to worry here, though.

Clorox's products and brands.

Image source: Clorox Company.

In March, Clorox announced plans to acquire health and wellness company, Nutranext for $700 million, to be financed through cash and debt. While Clorox expects the acquisition to add a percentage point to its top line this year (hence the revenue outlook upgrade), acquisition-related expenses are expected to dilute its earnings.

Investors were encouraged by Clorox's resilience amid challenging cost conditions. To top that, the company announced a share repurchase program worth $2�billion later in May, reflecting management's confidence in its long-term goals, which include 3%-5% growth in annual sales and conversion of 11%-13% annual revenue into free cash flows.

Rising cash flows should also mean higher dividends for shareholders: Clorox has already made a mark in the dividend world as a Dividend Aristocrat and rewarded shareholders with a good 14% increase in dividends earlier this year.

So what

Clorox's full-year outlook, after the downgrade, calls for a solid 16% growth in EPS at the midpoint. While the Nutranext acquisition is unlikely to be accretive before fiscal 2020, Clorox should still be able to grow its EPS at a decent clip next year. The growth potential in earnings and dividend, coupled with the buyback program, was good enough for the market to propel Clorox shares higher last month.

Monday, July 9, 2018

Koninklijke Philips (PHG) Downgraded by Zacks Investment Research

Koninklijke Philips (NYSE:PHG) was downgraded by Zacks Investment Research from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report released on Friday.

According to Zacks, “Philips’ is benefiting from strong sales in Diagnosis & Treatment businesses. The company’s expanding portfolio is driving share price momentum, which has outperformed the industry on a year-to-date basis. The company remains optimistic about the prospects of its Diagnosis & Treatment vertical. However, management also mentioned that growth of Ultrasound might not be as good as in the first quarter. Moreover, the company’s near-term profitability is likely to be hurt by the sluggish growth prospects of the healthcare market on a global scale. Also, high restructuring and acquisition-related costs are major headwinds.”

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A number of other research analysts have also recently commented on PHG. ValuEngine upgraded shares of Koninklijke Philips from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday. Deutsche Bank upgraded shares of Koninklijke Philips from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 17th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have assigned a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the stock. Koninklijke Philips presently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $48.00.

Koninklijke Philips traded up $0.53, reaching $43.50, during midday trading on Friday, according to Marketbeat. 58,702 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 647,221. The stock has a market cap of $39.68 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 35.08, a P/E/G ratio of 2.12 and a beta of 1.25. The company has a quick ratio of 1.13, a current ratio of 1.47 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34. Koninklijke Philips has a one year low of $35.24 and a one year high of $43.45.

Koninklijke Philips (NYSE:PHG) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Monday, April 23rd. The technology company reported $0.20 EPS for the quarter. The firm had revenue of $4.84 billion during the quarter. Koninklijke Philips had a net margin of 8.76% and a return on equity of 7.08%. equities research analysts expect that Koninklijke Philips will post 2.13 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Renaissance Technologies LLC increased its holdings in shares of Koninklijke Philips by 283.3% during the fourth quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 1,085,178 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $41,020,000 after buying an additional 802,100 shares in the last quarter. Northern Trust Corp increased its holdings in shares of Koninklijke Philips by 4.7% during the first quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 850,663 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $32,589,000 after buying an additional 37,992 shares in the last quarter. Jefferies Group LLC increased its holdings in shares of Koninklijke Philips by 59.0% during the fourth quarter. Jefferies Group LLC now owns 64,439 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $2,436,000 after buying an additional 23,903 shares in the last quarter. SWS Partners acquired a new stake in shares of Koninklijke Philips during the fourth quarter worth approximately $1,528,000. Finally, HBK Investments L P increased its holdings in shares of Koninklijke Philips by 110.3% during the fourth quarter. HBK Investments L P now owns 40,584 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $1,534,000 after buying an additional 21,284 shares in the last quarter. 5.44% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Koninklijke Philips Company Profile

Koninklijke Philips N.V. operates as a health technology company worldwide. The company offers mother and child care, and oral healthcare products; male grooming and beauty products; kitchen appliance, coffee, air, garment care, and floor care products; and sleep, respiratory care, and respiratory drug delivery products.

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Analyst Recommendations for Koninklijke Philips (NYSE:PHG)

Thursday, July 5, 2018

Head-To-Head Analysis: Artesian Resources Co. Class A (ARTNA) versus Pure Cycle (PCYO)

Artesian Resources Co. Class A (NASDAQ: ARTNA) and Pure Cycle (NASDAQ:PCYO) are both small-cap utilities companies, but which is the better investment? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their dividends, risk, analyst recommendations, valuation, institutional ownership, profitability and earnings.

Risk & Volatility

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Artesian Resources Co. Class A has a beta of 0.11, indicating that its stock price is 89% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Pure Cycle has a beta of 0.5, indicating that its stock price is 50% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Profitability

This table compares Artesian Resources Co. Class A and Pure Cycle’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets
Artesian Resources Co. Class A 17.54% 10.49% 3.15%
Pure Cycle -40.01% -1.53% -1.50%

Dividends

Artesian Resources Co. Class A pays an annual dividend of $0.95 per share and has a dividend yield of 2.5%. Pure Cycle does not pay a dividend. Artesian Resources Co. Class A pays out 41.3% of its earnings in the form of a dividend.

Analyst Recommendations

This is a breakdown of recent ratings for Artesian Resources Co. Class A and Pure Cycle, as provided by MarketBeat.

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score
Artesian Resources Co. Class A 0 0 0 0 N/A
Pure Cycle 0 0 0 0 N/A

Institutional and Insider Ownership

38.5% of Artesian Resources Co. Class A shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 66.3% of Pure Cycle shares are held by institutional investors. 20.6% of Artesian Resources Co. Class A shares are held by insiders. Comparatively, 4.8% of Pure Cycle shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, endowments and hedge funds believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

Earnings and Valuation

This table compares Artesian Resources Co. Class A and Pure Cycle’s top-line revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio
Artesian Resources Co. Class A $82.24 million 4.30 $13.98 million $2.30 16.66
Pure Cycle $1.22 million 192.81 -$1.71 million N/A N/A

Artesian Resources Co. Class A has higher revenue and earnings than Pure Cycle.

Summary

Artesian Resources Co. Class A beats Pure Cycle on 7 of the 11 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Artesian Resources Co. Class A

Artesian Resources Corporation, through its subsidiaries, provides water, wastewater, and other services on the Delmarva Peninsula. The company distributes and sells water to residential, commercial, industrial, governmental, municipal, and utility customers, as well as for public and private fire protection in the states of Delaware, Maryland, and Pennsylvania; and offers wastewater services to customers in Delaware. It also provides contract water and wastewater services; water, sewer, and internal service line protection plans; and wastewater management services, as well as design, construction, and engineering services. In addition, the company offers services to other water utilities, including operations and billing functions; and owns real estate properties, including land for office buildings, a water treatment plant, and wastewater facility. As of December 31, 2017, it served approximately 84,200 metered water customers in Delaware, 2,300 metered water customers in Maryland, and 40 customers in Pennsylvania through 1,293 miles of transmission and distribution mains. Artesian Resources Corporation was founded in 1905 and is headquartered in Newark, Delaware.

About Pure Cycle

Pure Cycle Corporation designs, constructs, operates, and maintains water and wastewater systems in the Denver metropolitan area and Colorado Front Range in the United States. It provides water production, storage, treatment, retail distribution systems bulk transmission, wastewater collection and treatment, irrigation water treatment and transmission, construction management, billing and collection, and emergency response services. The company offers its services to wholesale customers, which include commercial and industrial customers, and local governmental entities that provide water and wastewater services to their end-use customers. It also leases its farms. The company was founded in 1976 and is based in Watkins, Colorado.